Just a typical day.

The phone rang just before 8.00 am. It was a 'Joan' asking 'could she come now for Dulcie's shower?'I said that Dulcie wasn't up yet."I'll come later, when does she normally have her shower?""Between 9 and 11," I said.Dulcie was up by 9.15, and was breakfasted and had had all her medication by 9.30.I was pacing about waiting for my Blue Care phone call which finally came just after 10.It was Leo that rang and I was on speaker phone because Bronwyn was there too.....I could hear them but also myself talking to them."Do you mind if we record this because we will need to write a report and it will be easier for us to write down what you say."Crikey! What have I got myself into, I thought.He switched on the recorder and introduced himself then Bronwyn chipped in and I was tempted to say "And I am Genghis Khan from The Brothers of Perpetual Bewilderment," but I didn't.He introduced me.I had to explain again what had happened and I did at length again....not adding anything new, just that Dulcie had mentioned Elaine had been heavy handed on a few occasions but that we did not feel it was deliberate but more an inability, on her part, to be gentle."And we have heard there were bruises that had not previously been noticed before the incident?""Where did you hear that? I never said that. I said that Dulcie bruises very easily but I have never once mentioned any new bruising following Elaine's visits," I said, taken aback.Bronwyn jumped in."We thought there was some new bruising.""I never said there was any bruising from the showering, any bruises are usually from Dulcie banging her legs on her walker and it does not take much for her to bruise. When I first phoned about this I was not making a formal complaint and I never meant for this to 'mushroom' as it has. I don't want Elaine to lose her job or for her to be reprimanded I just think that she perhaps needs more training and some further supervision.""There will be further training given," said Leo.Bronwyn spoke, " and as I said in your phone call to me, you will not see Elaine again and we are very sorry for what has happened. How is Dulcie now?""She is fine," I said, " Please don't think it has been traumatic for her, it hasn't been. Dulcie is fine.""You can call me any time if there is a problem, Nick" said Bronwyn bending over backwards."And I hope this has not put you off calling us again if there are any further issues," said Leo."Not at all," I said, "If there is anything that I feel is not right I will be calling again."They thanked me for my help in the matter.I hope that is the end of it...........but I have thought that a few times this week.Just after 11.00 Joan arrived. It turned out she was a registered nurse and was here to do the three month review (that was about 6 months late........funny that!).She asked us some questions and filled in some paper work and then off she and Dulcie went for the shower.I was washing some pots at the sink when I heard a voice,"Hello? Is anybody there?"It was Janina at the door."Oh," I said surprised, "there is already a nurse here giving Dulcie her shower.""Oh, they never let me know," said Janina, "I better go in."It was a Blue Care overdose.Joan was pleased with how everything had gone and recommended 'no change' to Dulcie's care plan."We will be back in three months for another review."I wasn't going to hold my breath.After lunch Dulcie and I had a trip out.My dental appointment is tomorrow and the temporary 'Pensioner's Concession Card' that they gave me ran out today. I was supposed to get the real card through the post in the last fortnight but it has not arrived......I was not surprised after the address mix up on my last visit to Centrelink.So.....Dulcie and I went to Inala."I'll wait here in the car," she said as we pulled up outside the office."Well, no, you will have to come with me," I said, " because it can take quite a while to be seen in here and I don't want to leave you here in the car on a hot day."I wheeled her in and we got in the queue."That's a nice plant" said Dulcie."I don't think it is real" I said, "I bet it is plastic."I checked my pockets for my wallet that held the expired temporary card and it was not there. I wheeled Dulcie out of the queue and parked her near the red chairs saying,"I just have to nip back to the car for my wallet, just wait here a moment.""Yes, dear,"I ran back to the car, grabbed my wallet, ran back and got us back in the queue, which had doubled in size in the meantime.Eventually we got to the front of the queue and I explained the situation and we were told to 'take a seat.'"It shouldn't be long," said the woman.She was right."Nicholas Allen?"It was the woman I had seen a fortnight ago who had tried to change the address and been annoyed when I walked between the desks when I was not supposed to."Remember me?" I asked."I do!" She said. "It hasn't come?""No," I said.She seemed to have more of an idea this time and said "let's put Celtis St as your temporary address and your postal address and we'll try again. I'll print you out another temporary card.""Great," I said."Now, I wonder which printer I sent it to?" She said. She wandered off in search of the printer and then came back empty handed and wandered off a different way and found it.She stamped it and handed it to me."If it doesn't come again, we'll have to make some phone calls to find out what is going on."I collected Dulcie and we headed out, pausing by the 'nice' plant to have a closer look at it.It was plastic.